As Nepal struggles with the aftermath of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that hit the capital Kathmandu on Saturday, let us take the time to remember that Singapore once owed its security to the Nepalese Gurkhas during key moments in its history.
The Gurkhas have been with us since the British colonial period and have helped bring peace during times of civil unrest.
If not for their policing of the streets during the Maria Hertogh riots in 1951, where people were killed, shops looted and cars burnt, the unrest could have been even more widespread and uglier.
During the 1964 racial riots, having not yet developed a strong military, Singapore had only the police and the Gurkhas with their British commanders to quell the unrest. The Gurkhas were “blind” to racial divisions and thus able to be neutral in their handling of the discontent.
Today, they remain a contingent within the Singapore Police Force and part of the nation’s formula to ensure harmony. They are still despatched to guard critical installations. In the light of the national catastrophe in their homeland, we should respond in kind or in deed with compassion, given how the Gurkhas had contributed to our nation’s stability in its nascent years.
